Many extended objects including, but not limited to, fiber, flexible pipe, wire and optical fiber are stored and/or shipped by winding the extended object about a spool. As shown in FIG. 1, a spool 10 as known to the prior art includes a cylindrical body 12 capped at each end by flanges 14, 14'. The cylindrical body 12 and flanges 14, 14' may be constructed of a polymeric material, a metal, or wood, for example. The extended object 20 to be stored and/or shipped is wound about the cylindrical body 12 and prevented by the flanges 14, 14' from slipping longitudinally off the ends of the spool 10. In this way, the extended object is made compact and easy to store and ship. In addition, the spool and flanges protect the extended object during storage and shipment.
Oftentimes, cushioning material is wrapped around the cylindrical body 12 prior to the winding of the extended object to prevent damage to the extended object. Such damage may be caused, for example, by the diameter of the cylindrical body 12 changing in response to changes in the ambient temperature. Such dimensional changes in the diameter of the spool 10 may in turn cause a change in the tension of the extended object wound about the spool. When a change in the ambient temperature causes the material of the spool 10 to expand to a greater extent than the concomitant change in the extended object wound about the spool 10, the extended object may be damaged by the stresses induced by the expanding spool diameter. For example, fiber optic cable, which consists of a glass fiber core material surrounded by cladding material, does not expand significantly when the ambient temperature is raised. However, such optical fiber is very fragile and may be easily damaged by expansion of cylindrical body 12.
Fragile extended objects wound on spools 10 frequently are protected from dimensional changes in the spool diameter by wrapping and gluing a cushioning material such as a foam, about cylindrical body 12 prior to wrapping the extended object about cylindrical body 12. In this way the extended object is cushioned by the cushioning material. Typically, the cushioning material is bound to the spool with a permanent adhesive, such as epoxy or the like. The cushioning material compresses as the spool body 12 expands, thereby relieving the stress which otherwise would be transmitted to the extended object coiled on the spool 12.
Many spools of this type are discarded after a single use. Those spools 10 which are suitable for multiple reuses may be reused as long as the cushioning material is not damaged. If the foam cushion is damaged, the entire assembly must be discarded. The disposal of such packaging raises environmental concerns, and the nature of their design renders it difficult to effect such disposal in an environmentally sound manner.
Accordingly, it is desired to provide a more environmentally sound cushioned shipping spool that may be refurbished and reused and then easily recycled at the end of its useful life.